How to implement Life Saving Rules in the production environment

Implementing Life Saving Rules: how Xella turns safety into daily practice

Safety at Xella is treated as a mindset rather than a checklist. Across international operations, a clear vision has been established: “Create safety”. This vision is embodied in the ten Life Saving Rules (LSR), designed to prevent the most severe potential incidents in workplaces. Effective implementation of these rules across different countries, cultures, and technical environments relies on a combination of data, dialogue, and determination.

From insight to action: Choosing the right rules

The process began in 2017 with a comprehensive analysis conducted by the Corporate EHS team, reviewing incident data, organizational structures, technical processes, and safety culture. The objective was to identify the most critical risks – not just the most frequent ones – and address them with targeted, actionable rules.
The result was a set of ten Life Saving Rules, covering topics such as Electrical Safety, Mobile Equipment handling, Confined Space Entry, and Hazardous Material Management. These rules reflect real-world challenges in the plants and are designed to protect lives.

A phased, people-centered rollout

Implementation started with five rules, including Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), External Transports, and Traffic Route Concept. In total eight LSR were introduced successively over time forming a consistent group-wide standard.
For example, while legal regulations on working at heights vary across countries, Xella applies a unified standard: safety measures are required from just one meter above ground. This ensures clarity and consistency across all sites.

Training that sticks

Introducing a rule is one step; embedding it in daily practice is another. A train-the-trainer model is used, beginning with local EHS managers who cascade training locally. For complex topics such as Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), single accountable persons (SAP) are appointed.
Every employee is informed of the “why, how, and what” of each rule. Effectiveness is reinforced through clear materials – posters, brochures, and digital templates – and dedicated kick-off events include site tours and practical demonstrations.

Technical and organizational change

Implementation of a Life Saving Rule often requires technical upgrades and process redesigns. Measures may include installing safeguarding solutions for machines or redesigning traffic routes within plants to ensure safety is embedded in infrastructure.

Empowering a safety culture

A key element of the approach is training and coaching line managers to strengthen a resilient safety culture. Input from employees is sought to inform safety practices, leading to a noticeable shift: plants have become more confident, independent, and innovative in their approach to safety.